Fence



ing the panels firmly together.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

JAMES NV. ROBERTS, OF OHILLIOOTHE, MISSOURI.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,773, dated June IO, 1890.

Application iiled July 23, 1889. Serial No. 318,348. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Livingston and State ot Missouri, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvemens in fences; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a felice constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly in end elevation; and Fig. 3 is adetail vieu7 showing the manner of securing the panels together by means of 4a key.

The several panels are each composed of the posts or end bars A and the horizontal rails B, secured to and extended between the said posts or end bars. These rails B may be constructed of wooden planks or of barbed wire, as may be desired. Each of the end bars or posts is provided with the passages or openings C, preferably in the same horizontal plane, extending at right angles to each other through the posts, and which are elliptical in cross-sectional outline and are adapted to be engaged by the key D. The said key is flattened or elliptical at its ends, as shown at E, and has a central cylindrical portion F, as clearly shown.

In practice, when it is desired to connect the sections 'of the fence the end bars of said sections are brought together with the respective openings therein registering, and the keys are inserted through the elliptical openings in the end bars until the central cylindrical portions thereof engage the said openings, after which the keys are turned so that the elliptical end portions will be at right angles to the openings, and consequently cannot be drawn through the same, thus secur- IVhen the panels are to be secured together in a straight line, the keys are inserted through the transverse openings of the adjacent end bars; but when the panels are to be secured together at an angle so as to form a corner in the fence the key is inserted through a transverse opening in one end bar and the longitudinal opening in the other one. The panels are further secured together, when forming a corner, by means of a hook G, pivoted to one end bar or post and engaging a staple H, secured on the adjacent end bar.

The panels are braced and prevented from swaying laterally by means of the brace-rods I, which are connected at their lower ends to a suitable base, and are provided at their upper ends with hooks J, adapted to engage staples K, secured in the sides ot' the end bars or posts, as clearly shown. These bases may be formed of any convenient object having a fiat upper surface, such as a stone or an old stump, dac. v

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided an extremely simple fence, which is strong and durable. Any one of the panels can be removed, so as to provide a gate or passage-way, by simply removing the key and disengaging the braces, as will be readily understood.

The fence can be easily set up by an unskilled person, and its advantages are thought to be obvious.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi In a portable fence, the sections consisting of vertical end posts and longitudinal connecting-bars, said posts each having two elliptical openings through their bodies, one in t-he longitudinal line of the panel and the other transverse thereto, in combination with keys having cylindrical central portions and elliptical end portions, whereby the panels can be connected in line with or at right angles to each other,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atxed my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

JAMES W. ROBERTS.

Vitnesses:

JOHN KEAUs, G. B. SHERMAN. 

